If this clip doesn’t light a fire in you, then I highly recommend you reconsider your decision to be in leadership - as a business owner.

This video is a clip from the movie “Any Given Sunday” where Al Pacino gives a speech to his beaten down, broken team to either come together and fight or die!

Are you willing to fight for the life of your business? Are you willing to die for your team?

Well, many in small business don’t feel like they have a team because most don’t have paid employees. However, their team are people even more near and dear to them. They are their wives, their husbands, their children, their brothers and sisters who all contribute in one way, shape or form, because they believe in you!

Do you believe in yourself enough to lay your life on the line for your business? If so, then this piece will resonate well with you. If not, I challenge your motives for being in business! Because if you aren’t willing to die for your cause, then why would anyone else want to take a chance on you? If you are not giving it your all and selling the others around you that they are in fact on the right path, on the right team, how do you expect them to give their life and devotion to YOUR cause!

As you’ll learn from the clip, you can turn your fate around by focusing on the “inches". Your fate good or bad, is 6 inches in front of you. That’s the difference between life or death! Take one wrong step and your life could end. Take one right step and your life will begin!

What are your 6 inches to success? We would love to be your support for helping you achieve your goals! After all, your life depends on it!

Good Luck!

Jeff Levin
Online Entrepreneur
Founder of GrowthPOD.com
The I Promote You. You Promote Me! Network

I recently watched this inspirational message from Michael Jordan that really sums up what it takes to be the BEST at what you do. I am a firm believer that you are either training to reach the top or you’re training to fail. Everything in between is an excuse for why you aren’t the BEST.

Every minute that goes by making excuses, is a minute where your competitors that LIVE to be the BEST are putting the finishing touches on their next marketing campaign at midnight or waking up in the wee morning hours to build knowledge and prepare for an awesome day of growth.

As a business leader you were born to change the world. It is your responsibility to give it your all to make a difference. Do you think Michael Jordan did it for the money? Or did he want to let the world know all about Michael Jordan and put his stamp on society as the BEST ever?

It’s amazing how when you focus your drive on bigger intentions, people want to be associated with you, they want their picture taken with you, they want to pay lots of money to come and see you, they want to be there just in case you do something legendary!

Are you driven to be legendary or are you like the majority of business leaders chasing money?

Make it your choice to draw the line in the sand and leave the excuses behind. Be the Best … Stop Making Excuses.

Jeff Levin
Founder, GrowthPOD.com
The I Promote You. You Promote Me! Network

by CJ Arditi

You may not be familiar with its formal name - the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 - but you’re almost certainly aware of its key outcome: a tax rebate. Now comes the big question: What should you do with it?

If you spend it, you will do your part to help stimulate the economy. But by investing the rebate, you could help speed your progress toward your long-term financial goals, such as a comfortable retirement.

Before we look at investment possibilities, let’s quickly go over the “nuts and bolts” of the plan:

How much? You can receive up to $600, if you’re filing as an individual, or $1,200, if you’re filing a joint return. Plus, you can get an additional $300 for each qualifying child. However, the size of your rebate will be reduced by $50 for every $1,000 you earn above adjusted gross income (AGI) limits ($75,000 for singles and $150,000 for married couples).

When? The IRS will begin mailing Stimulus Act rebate checks in May. If you’ve selected the “direct deposit” option for receiving your 2007 income tax refund, your Stimulus Act rebate will be placed in the same account that you’ve chosen for your refund.

Investment Choices

Here are a few possibilities for investing your rebate:

Traditional or Roth IRA - Suppose that you are a joint filer and did receive the full $1,200 rebate. If you put that $1,200 in an investment that earned a hypothetical 7 percent return, and that investment were placed in a traditional or Roth IRA, the money would grow to more than $9,000 in 30 years. (This figure does not include fees, commissions or expenses, all of which would reduce your investment returns.) Keep in mind that traditional IRA withdrawals are taxable, whereas a Roth IRA’s earnings have the potential to grow tax free, provided you don’t begin taking withdrawals until you’re at least 59-1/2 and you’ve had your account for at least five years.) All investments within these accounts do fluctuate in price, so it is possible to have more, less or the same amount when you sell your investments.
Section 529 savings plan - In a Section 529 college savings plan, you put money in a specific mix of investments. Section 529 plans are tax deductible in some states for residents who participate in their own state’s plan. All withdrawals will be free from federal income taxes if the money is used for a qualified college or graduate school expense of your child or grandchild. (Withdrawals for other reasons may be subject to federal, state and penalty taxes. Also, Section 529 distributions will appear as income on the child’s tax return, which could affect financial aid calculations.)

Emergency fund - It’s a good idea to put six to 12 months’ worth of living expenses in a liquid account for use as an “emergency fund.” Without such a fund, you might be forced to liquidate some of your long-term investments to pay for things such as a costly car repair or an unexpected medical bill.

A rebate like this one doesn’t come along every year - so put it to work for you. Someday, you may be glad you did.

CJ Arditi is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones Investments. Please contact CJ at 914-962-2853

by Jim Reilly

Many times, the actions we take in life not only bring success but also teach us new, important ways of being in the world. For example, having a child teaches us to be more patient. Embarking on a new business venture may encourage us to become more courageous.

The power of disciplined focus is the secret of success. To focus means to bring your attention to the center, to concentrate on one thing intently in order to gain clarity. Teaching yourself to stay focused on one project, goal, or opportunity at a time will not only allow you to be more productive and effective, it can also challenge you to go more deeply into the task at hand and bring forth more creative insight and wisdom.

Many times we try to - cover all the bases, respond to every opportunity, or provide every possible service that someone might need, in the hopes of striking a deal, thus success. But the truth is, long-term and sustainable success often comes from the ability to stay focused on one project or one goal at a time.

To determine whether or not you may be having trouble focusing, answer the following questions:

1. Do you find yourself generating so many new ideas that you never get started on one?
2. Are you easily distracted during the day and feel as though you never get anything completed?
3. Does your brochure list so many products or services that it confuses potential customers?

Since we are creative beings, it makes sense that we would want to pursue many interests or travel several paths at once. But remember that when you expend your energy in several directions, you weaken the power behind one. Is there a project or goal that needs your devoted attention?

Take An ACTION Challenge…

During the next week pick a project or goal and devote your focused energy to it every day. Choose a preplanned amount of time, schedule it in your diary, and challenge yourself to stay on purpose. You might decide to use this focused time for something related to self care, writing an article, guiding the team, or marketing your business. Simply shut the door, turn off the ringer on the phone, post a Do Not Disturb sign, or do whatever it takes to keep your attention and action focused on what is important.

Each time you are tempted to sway toward something else, bring your attention back to the present. When your mind starts to wander, remind yourself to stay focused by using a simple mantra like: “I do complete work.” Using this mantra will help you build your “focus muscle". Once you get better at staying focused, you will not only be less tempted by distractions, you will be more engaged.

This week I will focus my attention on: ______________________________

Jim

Jim Reilly is a business coach and seminar presenter with ActionCOACH Business Coaching, the world’s #1 coaching firm. For more information on Jim’s upcoming events or to lean how Jim can help your team, call Jim at 845-628-7887 or visit www.action6steps.com.

by Annie Johnson

Would you like to increase the number and quality of referrals you get? Building relationships is the key. It starts with your relationship with your advocates and continues through building a relationship with referred customers.

It’s like a courtship. You ask your friends to introduce you to single people they know because you know your friends know you and who might be compatible with you. They tell the other person about you and you about the other person. You may talk on the phone or via email to begin the process of getting to know each other. You arrange to meet, hopefully with your mutual friend there, too.

At this point, do you ask them to marry you?

Typically in referrals, that’s exactly what people do! That’s the point where most people ask for the sale. Although it takes more time to build a relationship first, it is more effective and productive in the long run.

Courting Referrals

#1 Train Your Advocate.
As in dating, you ask people who already know you and have done business with you to become your advocate and refer others to you. It might not occur to them.

Take them out for coffee or lunch and explain what you’d like them to do for you. Start with appreciating what a good customer/associate they are. Then ask if they would be willing to be your advocate. Tell them what you would like them to do:

· Be aware when someone else mentions a need for your kind of product or service. (Some people are good at this, but many need to be “trained” to watch for and respond to expressed needs. Talking about his may help you both to cross-refer.)

· Suggest that person might like to meet you and give the reasons why. (Explain what part of your business lends itself to referrals and what kind of customers could use your product or service.)

· Give that person your contact information and ask if you can contact them and how. (You want that person to have your contact information, but don’t rely on them to call you. Have the advocate find out the best way for you to contact them—and assure them that you won’t give them a hard sell.)

· Tell you about the referral as soon as possible. (Encourage your advocate to get back to you immediately. The other person has a need and will probably act on finding a solution. The sooner you know about it, the more likely you will be considered.)

· Set up a time when all three parties can get together, at least by phone. (This is like the blind date. It always goes better if the mutual acquaintance is there when you meet.)

Explain what you will do when he or she contacts you about a referral, which is to act promptly to arrange to meet with the referred customer.

#2 Begin Building a New Relationship.
Make it easy for your advocate to help you get in touch with the person referred. Take the lead in planning how you’re going to do that.

Learn all you can about the situation in which the advocate and potential customer talked about you. What is the specific need the referred person expressed that made the advocate think of you? What’s the timing? How would that person like to be contacted? Ask the advocate to introduce you.

When you meet, be interested in the other person. Refer to the conversation with your advocate only as a way of establishing a mutual connection. Look for other connections like a Chamber of Commerce, a sport or music, or a philanthropic organization, whatever might generate a conversation that helps you get to know more about each other.

Ask about their business. Be interested in what you can do for them. Remember you’re in the courting phase. If you can establish a connection, arrange to talk later—possibly about how you can meet the need expressed to the advocate. Ask how they would like this to happen.

Follow up on all your commitments. Send a thank you note or email.

#3 Thank Your Advocate.
Have you ever referred someone to a colleague and then wondered what happened? Don’t let your advocates hang out like that. Tell them how the referral turned out and thank them for giving it to you. Make this a good experience for your advocates and they will be more likely to continue recommending you.

-Thanks to Dan Wilkewitz of RealPro Real Estate & Mortgage 970.231.3714 for the concept of thinking of the referral process as similar to courting.
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Annie Johnson, owner of AA Limos, has built the company on a reputation for !st Class* Customer Service. *!st Class = astonishingly high quality. Show your out of town visitors how important they are – have a limousine pick them up. Call 970-587-9299 or 866-587-9299 (toll free) for reservations.